House at Jalan Ampang, Singapore

This house was commissioned by a senior lady who wished to have her two adult sons and their families live together with her. The authorities placed further restrictions on the house design, which ruled out subdividing it into 2 lots while also disallowing a symmetrical design. IDC responded with an asymmetrical house that gives each of the family members their own clearly-defined spaces, while preserving the outlook as that of a single bungalow.

With 8 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms in total, what could have been a massive structure was broken down into smaller, interlocking volumes that respected the scale of the street. A restrained palette of glass, aluminium fins and floating metal canopies was used to create a sense of lightness that belied the large volumes within.

IDC took advantage of a wide frontage but fairly shallow plot to encourage cross-ventilation and natural light from all sides. Excess glare and solar gain was mitigated by the use of strategically-placed aluminium fins. The new design also catered to the owners’ love of entertaining by creating a series of social spaces that flow from within to without. The living spaces at ground level make full use of the site by utilising the outdoor gardens as well.

For the interiors, IDC worked carefully with the owner’s existing collection of Chinese rosewood furniture and traditional displays to create a sympathetic yet modern backdrop, using Brazilian Cherrywood for floors and a similarly restrained palette of materials.